2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR Complaints

MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR ENGINE HAS A BURNT VALVE WITH LESS THAN 90K MILES ON IT. RICH MORTON LINCOLN DEALERSHIP IN GLEN BURNIE, MD SAYS MY REPAIR WILL BE $5,400 IF I WANT TO FIX IT, WHICH THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND. I SEE ONLINE THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE THE VERY SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO TOW IN MY CAR AS SEVERAL TIMES THE GEARSHIFT STUCK IN PARK AND COULD NOT BE SHIFTED TO DRIVE. I SPOKE WITH OTHER OWNERS WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO, MY TAILGATE WINDOW RANDOMLY FLIES UP WHILE DRIVING, JUST LIKE OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED. MY MAIN ISSUE IS THAT MY VEHICLE, AN EXPENSIVE ONE, IS NOW NOT DRIVABLE AND NEEDS THE $5,400 REPAIR BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURE THAT FORD WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. HELP, PLEASE. *TR

MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR, REAR WINDOW PANEL DEVELOPED A CRACK, WHICH I PAID FOR REPAIR. NOW AT 52,000 MILES WITH A PREMIUM EXTENDED WARRANTY IT HAS DEVELOPED ANOTHER CRACK. MY LOCAL LINCOLN DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW RELATED TO WEATHER CONDITIONS AND YET LINCOLN WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. IF THE CRACK CONTINUES IT COULD BECOME A PEDESTRIAN HAZARD AND QUITE DANGEROUS. THIS IS MY 5TH. LINCOLN AND MY LAST UNLESS LINCOLN STANDS BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

GEAR SHIFT NOT CHANGING SMOOTHLY, GEAR DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF "PARK" FROM TIME TO TIME. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE FINALLY BECOME DISLODGED FROM THE SHIFT CABLE BRACKET AND THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO MOVE AT ALL (NOT EVEN ABLE TO PUSH VEHICLE WHILE GEAR IN NEUTRAL). NEEDING TO REPLACE SHIFT CABLE AND GEAR LEVER. *TR

WITHOUT IMPACT THE TAILGATE APPLIQUE OF MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR CRACKED. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS COMMON AMONG FORD EXPLORERS MERC. MOUNTAINEERS AND AVIATORS AS REPORTED BY MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND VARIOUS BODYSHOPS AND THOUSANDS ON THE INTERNET WITH SIMILAR DEFECTS. FORD WONT FIX IF ITS OUT OF WARRANTY . THE BROKEN TAILGATE SECTION CAN DISLODGE AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO PEDESTRIANS OR MOTORISTS. PLEASE ADVISE AS THIS IS A WIDESPREAD MANUFACTURES DEFECT. THANK YOU *TR

THE PLASTIC BRACKET THAT ATTACHES THE SUN VISORS TO THE CEILING IN MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR HAVE DEGRADED AND SHATTERED WITH THE VISOR FALLING OUT OF THE CEILING INTO MY FACE AS I WAS DRIVING. THE SAME CRACKS ARE APPARENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE VISOR BRACKET BUT ARE HOLDING AT THIS TIME. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED IN AUGUST '09 WHILE ON A TRIP TO VIRGINIA. WHEN I WENT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR ASSISTANCE I WAS ADVISED THAT THEY HAD THE SAME FAILURE IN ANOTHER AVIATOR A FEW DAYS EARLIER. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART OR A NEW VISOR. THE BRACKET IS ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE VISOR ARM AND CANNOT BE PURCHASED SEPARATELY. WORKING WITH A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP THEY TRIED TO LOCATE A REPLACEMENT AT A LOCAL JUNK YARD, BUT WHEN IT WAS RECEIVED THE BRACKET EXHIBITED THE SAME CRACKING. I FEEL THIS IS DEFINITELY A DEFECTIVE PART SINCE IT IS PROTECTED FROM SUNLIGHT THAT MIGHT DETERIORATE IT. SINCE IT IS LOCATED IN THE CEILING OF THE VEHICLE IT COULD CERTAINLY BE AFFECTED BY THE EXTREME HEAT THAT DEVELOPS FROM THE SUN. THE FAILURE IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE VISOR CAN FALL IN YOU FACE AS MINE DID BLOCKING YOUR VIEW AS YOU DRIVE. NOW WITH THE MISSING VISOR YOUR VIEW IS IMPAIRED WHEN DRIVING INTO THE SUN AS YOU HAVE NOTHING TO BLOCK THE SUN. I BELIEVE THE FAILURE WOULD BE RECORDED AT LINCOLN AS SUN VISOR FAILURES RATHER THAN BRACKET FAILURES SINCE IT IS ATTACHED TO THE VISOR ARM AND HAS TO BE PURCHASED AS A WHOLE VISOR. I HAVE TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER WITH LINCOLN/FORD AS A PRODUCT DEFECT BY CONTACTING THE MAIN OFFICE IN DETROIT , BUT THEY HAVE DISALLOWED THE CLAIM. *TR

SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE OR VICE VERSA WITH NO RESPONSE. POWER TRAIN - GEAR SHIFT CABLE DISCONNECTS CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF WHAT GEAR THE CAR IS IN. SELECTOR THEN GIVES WRONG INFORMATION AS TO WHAT GEAR YOU ARE IN. ONLY SOME 2003 AVIATORS HAVE BEEN RECALLED; I HAVE A 2004. WEBSITE COMPLAINTS SHOW THAT ALL AVIATORS 2002 TO 2008 ARE AFFECTED. I TOLD THE LINCOLN DEALER ABOUT NHTSA AND SHE SAID 'DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT." THEY ARE CHARGING ME $400 TO FIX THE PROBLEM INCLUDING THE TOWING. *TR

2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR 74,000 MILES. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO INTERSTATE 95 S THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED AND LOST POWER UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. FINAL DETERMINATION BY A MECHANIC DETERMINED THE #8 CYLINDER WAS NOT HOLDING PRESSURE BECAUSE THE VALVE WAS NOT SEALING CORRECTLY. THE 4.6L V8 FORD ENGINE'S VALVE'S ARE POWDER COATED AND THIS CAUSED THE VALUE TO STICK AND OVERTIME WARPED THE VALVE'S COMPONENTS DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. THIS IS AN ENGINE DESIGN DEFECT AND THE ENGINE AND WILL REQUIRE A COMPLETE VALVE JOB TO REPLACE THE HEAD, HEAD GASKET AND FAULTY VALVE STEM. FORD HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THE SUBJECT BUT WILL NOT PERFORM A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH IF THE VEHICLE LOSSES POWER WHILE MERGING WITH OR EVADING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IT STARTED TO DEVELOP PROBLEMS. THE REAR BEARING SEAL FAILED AND OIL IS LEAKING OUT. THE GEAR SHIFTER ON THE CONSOLE IS STARTING TO STICK AND NOT GO INTO GEAR. I UNDERSTAND THE AVIATOR IS HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN THESE AREAS. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 79000 MILES ON IT WHEN I PURCHASED IT. FORD MUST HAVE USED INFERIOR MATERIALS TO MAKE THE AVIATOR. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND IF SO FORCE FORD TO RECALL THE AVIATOR AND REPLACE THE INFERIOR PARTS WITH PARTS THAT ARE SAFE AND RELIABLE. *TR

WHEN I TURN ON MY 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR TO WARM UP IN THE MORNING THE SMELL OF THE GAS IS SO STRONG. WHEN I AM AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN THE CAR SHAKES SO MUCH THAT I HAVE TO PUT IT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO AVOID THE CAR FROM TURNING OFF. WHEN I AM DRIVING THE CAR JERKS AND STALLS I FEEL SCARED WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE MY CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T GO AS FAST AS THE OTHER CARS BECAUSE IT STALLS. THE CAR DRIVES ROUGH AND MAKES A WHINING NOISE ALL THE TIME. EVERYTIME I TURN ON THE AC IT MAKES A LOUD POPPING SOUND. I HAVE NOT HAD MY VEHICLE FIXED OR LOOKED AT DUE TO MY FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCE. MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE WARRANTY. I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF ME, MY FAMILY AND THE PUBLIC WHEN I DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, APPROACHING A COMPLETE STOP. WHILE THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TOWARD THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED REPEATEDLY ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AND THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS FOR THE ACCELERATION FAILURE WHICH THERE WAS NO RESOLUTIONS. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE INTERMITTENT FAILURES WITH THE ENGINE MISFIRING AND REVVING WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS; AND A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WOULD OCCUR DURING THE ACTIVATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONER. RECENTLY, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE TOTAL REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE CONSISTED OF THE CYLINOID JOINTS REPLACEMENT; AND AN UPDATE OF THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM SOFTWARE. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. THERE HAD BEEN NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.